Faculty, administrators named leadership fellows
Four Mississippi State administrators and faculty members are among 46 named recently as 2012-13 Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program fellows.
They include:
--Mitchell E. Berman, head of the university's psychology department;
--Devon Brenner, head of the curriculum, instruction, and special education department;
--Allison Pearson, Giles Distinguished Professor of Management in the management and information systems department; and
--John M. Usher, head of the industrial and systems engineering department.
Established in 2008, the professional development program seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC-member institutions.
"The SEC Academic Leadership Development Program is a valuable opportunity for faculty and administrators at Southeastern Conference universities to study a wide range of topics in higher education from the leader's perspective," said SECU Executive Director Torie Johnson.
A development program designed by each institution for its own participants and conference-wide workshops are two major components of the program.
Berman is a Kent State University doctoral graduate. His research interests include aggressive and self-injurious human behavior, anger and aggressive behavior treatment and the effects of alcohol on cognition and behavior.
Brenner is a Michigan State University doctoral graduate. Her research has involved literacy curriculum and teaching at the elementary and middle school levels, as well as teacher education and professional development in literacy.
Pearson, an Auburn University doctoral graduate, uses her background in organizational behavior to research team dynamics and individual differences in business organizations.
Usher, a Louisiana State University doctoral graduate, has focused his efforts on the design and analysis of production systems, as well as the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing and systems simulation, modeling and analysis.
Through the SECU academic initiative, the 14-member athletic conference works to sponsor, support and promote collaborative higher education programs and activities involving administrators, faculty and students. It also provides an online platform to showcase achievements of these individuals on regional, national and international levels.
Morgan Tubbs | University Relations
